"The Entity" is a fictionalized account of a true incident which took place in Los Angeles, California, in October 1976. Psychiatry and parapsychology differ greatly in their explanations of the bizarre series of events that drove Carla Moran (not her real name) to seek their help. But all who have studied her case agree that Moran's torment was frighteningly real.

Moran's experience, one of the most unusual scientifically - documented cases of unexplained para-normal phenomena on record, is brought to the screen in 20th Century-Fox's chilling suspense-drama, The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey and directed by Sidney J. Furie. Produced by Harold Schneider (whose credits include the Acadamy Award winning "Days of Heaven") the screenplay was adapted by Frank DeFelitta from his best-selling novel.

Was Carla Moran simply a disturbed woman or was she, as she claimed, being tormented by a discarnate being who wanted to possess her both physically and mentally?

"She was so injured, so hurt by this thing, so emotionally destroyed by it," says Frank DeFelitta who interviewed the

real Carla Moran extensively for both the novel and screenplay. "She was experiencing something that was both unexplainable and terrifying, she didn't know what to do, where to go or who to turn to."

According to the psychiatric community, her problems stemmed from a troubled subconscious which was erupting into violent self-abuse.

Parapsychologists, however, hoped to establish that she was actually being attacked by something not of this world.

Barbara Hershey, who has never before had so challenging a vehicle to explore the full range of her talents, expressed a mixture of excitement and trepidation about tackling this emotionally explosive and complex role.

"To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid going in," the actress admits. "It's a very physical role and I like that because your intellect doesn't get in the way. But I was more afraid that it might affect me psychologically, going through what I would have to go through to accurately portray this woman's torment.

"The thing that's surprising -- and terrifying -- about this film is that we really did try to approach it realistically. We asked 'what would you really feel like if something this terrifying and incomprehensible actually happened to you?', rather than going for some glamorized special effects fantasy."

The fictionalized Moran (like the real Carla) is a woman who has experienced a good deal of adversity in her life and suddenly finds herself being used not only by this unseen assailant but by the very powers to whom she has turned for help.